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In Boy, Roald Dahl recounts his days as a child growing up in England. From his years as a prankster at boarding school to his envious position as a chocolate tester for Cadbury's, Roald Dahl's boyhood was as full of excitement and the unexpected as are his world-famous, best-selling books. Packed with anecdotes -- some funny, some painful, all interesting -- this is a book that's sure to please.

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Fans of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda will be entranced by actor Derek Jacobi's amusing and captivating narration of the formative years of Dahl's life. Listening to the boyhood antics of this world famous and best-selling author provides a glimpse into where he got some of the plot ideas and inspirations for his most popular books. Dahl's upbringing was, by any standard, eccentric. In Boy (FS&G, 1984), the first of his two autobiographical titles (the second is Going Solo), he details many of his more unusual boyhood adventures, such as almost losing his nose in a car accident, the "Great Mouse Plot" of 1924, and boarding school antics in prose that will leave listeners laughing out loud. Jacobi's wry delivery is completely unselfconscious, and his pacing is perfect. This audio treat will appeal to Dahl fanatics of all ages.Cindy Lombardo, Orrville Public Library, OHCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A shimmering fabric of his yesterdays, the magic and the hurt * Observer * Brilliantly coloured, sometimes grotesque and sometimes magical * Sunday Times * As frightening and funny as his fiction * New York Times Book Review *
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Top customer reviews

Oh Boy! This is one of my favorite autobiographical books. It's funny, tender, poignant, laugh-out-loud, and just honest. It's easy to see where he gets some of his ideas for his fiction books. This is the story of Dahl's growing up years. He had a happy childhood, except when he was away at school. My, those head masters were wretched! But, it's honest and fun.

Bought for a colleague as a joke: us Brits say boys and girls... Americans don't like it.... My way of apologizing. That said: read this as a child. Am now a professional and read lots of bios but this still is one of my favorites. It is laugh out loud funny (the goat poo pipe still makes me giggle years later). It is also very human and so brings Roald Dahl to life. It does what a bio should do: paint the person. In terms of literary critique: he builds his characters extremely well and truly brings them to life. And the pace is bouncy. One I have enjoyed re-reading.

I loved this autobiographical narrative when I was 9 and was a little apprehensive about purchasing it for my girls who are less seeped in British culture and for whom many of the cultural references would be lost, but I was wrong, they loved it, were not put off by any of it and it is the first book in this genre they have tackled so I am happy it was a good experience. This is not just a good read, when I was at school it was used to teach us life narratives so I recommend it for classroom use as well (3rd grade and upwards).

Such a good writer, simple style with effective description of his boyhood experiences. He can still see thru the eyes of an eight, ten, thirteen, etc year old boy. You can see why he is such a good author for children.

I had read many of Dahl's children's stories, but this "book" is my favorite, as he writes in a way that is geared toward both children and adults with amazing flair. I wasn't sure whether the stories were 100% the truth or partially fabricated to make better tales. It didn't matter really as the finished product is simply delightful.

I was a fan of Roald Dahl when I was a kid, so it was interesting to learn more about his life. The writing is simple and honest, and I was laughing aloud throughout the book. I recommend reading this and then following it with "Going Solo", which is essentially the sequel to "Boy", and is an account of Dahl's adventures as a pilot in WWII. Both books are classics in my opinion, and they are quick reads.